Get kids to eat their greens with A White House Garden Cookbook

A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family to Your Family by Clara Silverstein contains “fourscore and seven recipes” from White Houses past and present as well as community gardens from around the United States.

This colorful cookbook follows the first year of First Lady Michelle Obama’s garden, connecting the harvest with recipes that families can make at home. I’m sure this book will help you find ways to get your family eating more vegetables, and it may even inspire you to start your own garden.

What am I going to do with all that zucchini?

If you do have a garden (or have friends or neighbors who do) this is the time of year that you’re inundated with zucchini and need to find a few good zucchini recipes.

We’ve already had a few monster zucchinis make their way into the kitchen from our garden. Luckily for me, my kids don’t mind a few chunks of “zuch” added to pasta sauce or meatloaf. Both are easy ways to add more vegetables to your diet.

Another healthy idea is adding diced zucchini to quesadillas. This would make an awesome, healthy after school snack that your kids will love!

Zucchini Quesadillas

From A White House Garden Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, diced small
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 15-ounce can of beans (white or lima)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded, reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mild salsa
• 6 8-inch flour, whole wheat or corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash the zucchini and peel the onion. Dice both vegetables into small pieces.
3. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink and rinse under running water.
4. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the zucchini, onions, beans, cumin, chili powder and parsley, if using. Cook until the zucchini and onion soften.
5. Add half the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.
6. To assemble the quesadilla, place three tortillas on a non-stick baking sheet. Spread each one with some of the filling from the pan. Top with salsa and another tortilla. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Place in the oven and bake until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is melted.
8. Cut into quarters and serve warm.

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Managing Editor of Mom Central Food. She also blogs at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet, a healthy lifestyle and weight loss blog featuring healthy recipes for the whole family.

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Disclosure: All links to Amazon are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Anne-Marie received a complimentary review copy of the cookbook from the publisher.

Anne-Marie Nichols